Rodriguez: Punishment coming for scuffle

University of
Arizona football coach Rich Rodriguez on Tuesday characterized the school as "mad and embarrassed" by a sideline fight during Saturday's New Mexico Bowl and will punish the players involved after the start of the new year, according to
TucsonCitizen.com.

Rodriguez told TucsonCitizen.com reporter
Anthony Gimino that punishment is forthcoming for junior nose tackle Tevin Hood and freshman linebacker Cody Ippolito after the pair exchanged blows in the first quarter of the
Wildcats' eventual 49-48 win.

"We’re going to meet and then I’m going to determine their punishment going forward," Rodriguez told Gimino. "That is something that should never happen. Knowing the two young men, it’s completely out of character."

Rodriguez apparently sent both players to the locker room upon hearing of the altercation and later sent them home with their families before the game ended.

"They’re going to have to deal with the punishment," Rodriguez said. "They already have, but they’re going to have to deal with it further and make such something close to that never happens again."